Chris Johnson Confronted at Funeral ... Family Divided

3/23/2015 10:37 AM PDT

NFL's Chris Johnson -- Confronted at Funeral ... Family Divided

EXCLUSIVE

Battle lines were drawn at the funeral of the man killed in the Chris Johnson drive-by shooting -- when the NFL star was asked to LEAVE the ceremony ... before the victim's mother stopped him and demanded that he come back inside.

Multiple sources tell us ... Johnson arrived late to the ceremony for Dreekius "Rollie" Johnson on Saturday ... but once inside, he was confronted by an angry family member who feels CJ is partly to blame for Rollie's death.

And why? We're told it all stems from CJ's friendship with a man named Kenny Turner -- who was hanging out with Chris and Rollie the night of the shooting.

Turner is a convicted criminal who spent 5 years in prison for aggravated battery stemming from a 2002 shooting incident. He's currently back behind bars for violating his probation.

Multiple sources tell us ... CJ's close friends have felt that Kenny was a bad egg -- and wanted Chris to cut him out of his life for years before something terrible happened.

We're told several family members and friends believe CJ's relationship with Kenny was a factor in the shooting -- which led to the confrontation at the funeral.

Sources tell us ... Chris began to leave the ceremony because he didn't want to be a distraction and was halfway to his car -- when the victim's mother approached him and demanded he come back inside.

We're told she doesn't blame Chris -- and told the running back in front of a group of people that she firmly believed the situation was out of his hands.

Multiple people tell us ... Chris never talked back to anyone -- he was completely respectful -- and ultimately obeyed Rollie's mother's wishes. One source tells us, "He just seemed sad."

ABOUT TMZ

CONTACT TMZ

Telepictures and Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.
may use my email address along with my interests and device data to send me tailored email and other offers
through social media or other sites and apps.

Yes! Telepictures and Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. may also share those details
with WB/Time Warner
Affiliates so they may send me tailored email and other offers.
Telepictures and Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. are requesting this consent on behalf of their affiliates,
which will use the information under their respective privacy policies.

Opt out at any time by sending email to
privacy@wb.com, by
mail to "Privacy Group, Warner Bros., 4000 Warner Blvd, Burbank, CA 91522," or by
unsubscribing via a link in the email. By submitting my email address, I agree to the
Terms of Service and I acknowledge
that I have read and understand the Privacy Policy.